


Only One Way Out

by Aria_Lerendeair



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Bonding, Fix-It, Grace Bonding, Grace Makeouts, I needed to fix the end of 9x18, M/M, Telepathy, This was how I did it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-22
Updated: 2014-04-22
Packaged: 2018-01-20 08:38:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,226
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1503965
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aria_Lerendeair/pseuds/Aria_Lerendeair
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gabriel has been trapped in heaven by Metatron.  When Team Free Will is banished to heaven's dungeons for not playing along to Metatron's little script, they find Gabriel.  Now Sam just had to figure out a way to free him...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Only One Way Out

**Author's Note:**

> So, this is what happens when I don't like the ending of an episode. I decide I have to re-write it into something that makes me far happier. 
> 
> At least this time it didn't turn into a 20k monster like The Hammer Falls did. WOO. I approve of no random 20k fics happening out of nowhere. <3 Anyways. Yes. This happened. BECAUSE GABRIEL IS ALIVE DAMMIT. AND I NEEDED SABRIEL SAP TO FEEL BETTER.

 

 

 

“I’m telling you Sam, no one else would have left me a voicemail that obnoxious.  It had to be him.”  Dean tossed his phone into the air and caught it.  

 

“Dean, I don’t think Metatron would-”

 

“And that is where you are so, so, so very wrong.”  A snap echoed in the air.  

 

Dean looked around as the scenery melted away and became the last motel room they had stayed in.  “What the fuck?!”  

 

Gabriel was lounging on the bed, licking a lollipop.  “Be glad I didn’t pop your asses back into TV land Dean-o.  I’m feeling generous today.”  

 

Sam frowned and looked around the room before settling his eyes on Gabriel.  

 

“Generous with what?  Where the fuck are we?  Why did you move us?”  

 

Gabriel stared at his nails.  “I saved your asses.  You were about to get nailed, and not in the good way Dean-o.”  

 

Sam narrowed his eyes and stepped closer to the bed.  

 

Gabriel looked up at Sam.  “Something interesting on my face Sam?”  

 

In a heartbeat, Sam had his gun out.  “Dean, this isn’t real.”  

 

“What the fuck are you talking about?”  

 

Sam kept both hands on his gun and stared at Gabriel.  “That’s not Gabriel.  He’s not real.  We’re not where we think we are.  Cas, try to mojo away.”  

 

“I am unable to.”  Castiel announced after a moment.  

 

Gabriel sat up on the bed and narrowed his eyes at Sam.  “What gave me away?”  

 

Sam tightened his hands on the gun.  “You called me Sam.”  He fired the gun and watched the illusion that was Gabriel fade away.  He closed his eyes as clapping sounded behind them.  

 

“I am impressed Sam and Dean Winchester.  I hadn’t expected you to figure out the game so quickly.”  Metatron said, appearing behind them.  “Ruined my fun.  Now I suppose I’ll have to make you pay.”  

 

He raised his hand and rolled his eyes.  “I never did appreciate Gabriel’s sense for theatrics, but...I suppose the gesture has it’s moments.”  Metatron snapped.  

  
  


 

 

 

 

 

 

Dean grunted and pushed himself up and off the hard wet floor.  “Sam?  Cas?”  

 

Sam groaned and managed to get himself into a sitting position.  “Here, Dean.  Cas?”  

 

“Dean, Metatron-”

 

“Yeah, I know.  Dick of the universe.”  Dean grumbled, looking around the room.  “Where the fuck are we?”  

 

A snap echoed in the room and a small candle leapt to life.  “Welcome to heaven’s dungeon boys.”  

 

Sam’s eyes immediately went to the figure chained to the wall.  “Gabriel!”

 

Gabriel coughed.  “Hey there Sam-o.  What’s shaking?  How’d you three wind up here?”  

 

“How else?  Metatron.”  Dean said, walking unsteadily towards Sam.  His ears felt like they were ringing.  

 

Cas strode forward and knelt next to Gabriel, tracing the skin next to the cuffs holding Gabriel up and against the wall.  “These cuffs Gabriel, they’re-”  

 

“I know, I know.  I’ll be fine.  We gotta figure out how to get you three boneheads out of here.”  Gabriel looked around the room.  “I can teach you how to sneak out of here.”  

 

“We’re not leaving without you Gabriel.”  Castiel said, his voice hard.  

 

Gabriel gave a sad smile.  “We went through this script once.  This time though, no illusion.”  

 

Castiel narrowed his eyes.  “You were there?  Was it actually you?”  

 

“No.”  Gabriel closed his eyes and grunted in pain, straining against the cuffs.  “But Metatron used a piece of my Grace to conjure up that image.  So I felt it.  Saw it.”

 

“Gabriel-”

 

“Cas.”  Gabriel sucked in a breath then whined low, his voice tinged with pain.  “I can tell you how.  Get them out.”  

 

Sam brushed Dean’s hand off as his brother hauled him to his feet.  “I’m fine, ‘m fine.”  He looked at Gabriel again.  Was he imagining the silhouette of wings that were suddenly spread against the wall?  “Cas, can you free him?”  

 

Castiel shook his head.  “I cannot.  He is bound at the Grace level.  We are seeing the physical manifestation in these chains.”  

 

Sam swallowed and looked around the cell.  “There has to be some way.  There is always a way.”  

 

Gabriel chuckled.  “Sammich, believe me when I say, there isn’t another way.  My Grace is anchored to heaven.  Right now it’s TIED there.”  He whined low and under his breath as another wave of pain washed over him.  

 

Dean walked up next to Cas and began inspecting the chains.  “There’s no way to untie him, or tie him to something else?”  

 

Sam looked down at Cas at his side and then back to Gabriel.  “Gabriel?”  

 

Gabriel shook his head.  “Only thing that’d offer up the same level of juice would be a soul bond.  Mated, for life.”  He coughed.  “Sincerely doubt that either of you two chuckleheads wants that, and Cassie can’t do it with his borrowed Grace, we’re shit out of luck.”  

 

Sam opened his mouth to respond and Dean beat him to it.  “There’s no other way?”  

 

“Dean-”  Castiel began.  

 

Gabriel shifted and then winced as the chains pulled.  “You two are the only ones who could pull it off.  Your souls are heavy-duty powerful.  Made to sustain archangels.  But again, neither of you wants to tie your ass to an angel for the rest of eternity, so there is nothing-”

 

“What if we did?”  Sam interrupted.  He ignored the way both Dean and Cas froze and stared at him.  He didn’t look away from Gabriel, keeping steady eye contact.  “Could you do it?”  

 

“Kiddo, you have no idea what you are getting yourself into.”  Gabriel finally broke his gaze with the kid’s and stared down at the ground.  “This is eternity.  Life, death, whatever comes after-”

 

“It’s better than hell.  Better than the cage.”  Sam said, his voice soft.  He stepped closer to Gabriel and reached out to touch him, trailing his fingertips along Gabriel’s collarbone.  “Unless my soul is too damaged to-”

 

Gabriel choked out another laugh.  “Sammy, are you paying attention?  Your souls are powerful.  Bright.  They’re designed to bond with an archangel.  But this is not about that.”  

 

Sam laughed and stepped closer.  “You’re right.  It’s about letting you out so we can go rip apart Metadouche piece-by-piece together.”

 

“Sammy-”

 

“Sam, I would advise that you think this through.”  Castiel cautioned, walking closer.  

 

Sam shook his head.  “We need Gabriel.  We need his help.  You saw him vanish those sigils.”  

 

Gabriel gave a pained smile.  “I see how it is.  You only want me for my power and my badass wealth of knowledge.”  

 

“We are not going to leave you here.  Since Metatron trapped you here, I’d assume you want revenge on him just as much as we do.”  Sam watched Gabriel’s eyes narrow and glitter with a hint of his restrained power.  

 

“Dean-o, Castiel, fuck off to the other side of the cell for five minutes.  I’ve got to discuss this with Samsquatch here.”  Gabriel sucked in a shuddering breath and tried to concentrate.  

 

“No fucking-”

 

“Dean.”  Castiel placed a hand on Dean’s arm and tugged him the ten or so feet away to give Sam and Gabriel a semblance of privacy.  

 

“Gabriel-”

 

“Sammy, listen to me.”  Gabriel coughed again and strained against the chains.  “This isn’t just me feeding on your soul.  You are going to be tied to me.  Forever.  I will see your every thought, your every feeling until you learn how to block off this bond a bit.  You will see mine.”  He lowered his voice.  “You don’t deserve that.  You’ve been through enough.  The last thing you need is-”

 

Sam interrupted Gabriel and stepped closer again.   “I think I’ll be the one to decide that.  Look.”  He cleared his throat and looked over his shoulder at Dean and Cas.  “Whatever you have done, or seen?  It isn’t as bad as the hundreds of years worth of torture I went through in the cage.  You’re going to have to deal with that.”  Sam brought his eyes back to Gabriel.  

 

Gabriel stared at Sam.  “No taking this back kiddo.  No separating us again.  You’ll be mine.  And I’ll be yours.  Two way street.”

 

Sam swallowed hard and stared at Gabriel.  “I knew it wasn’t you.”  

 

Gabriel blinked and then gave a slow smile.  “So you did.”  

 

“You remember how I knew it wasn’t you?”  Sam asked, looking up at Gabriel.  

 

“I called you Sam.”  Gabriel watched Sam’s eyes suddenly flutter before opening, dark and desperate.  

 

Sam pressed his lips together.  So that’s what it sounded like.  Without any patronizing lilt or sarcasm.  Just his name.  “Do it Gabriel.  We probably don’t have much time until Metatron comes to check on us.”  

 

Gabriel looked up and locked eyes with Cas for a moment.  “Protect Deanie-weenie over there, would you Cas?”  He turned back to Sam.  “All right kiddo.  In an ideal world, I’d be touching you for this, so I’m going to take advantage of that handspan.  Both of your hands on mine, your face against my neck, eyes closed, and get as close as you can.”  

 

Sam looked over his shoulder and nodded at Dean before stepping close to Gabriel.  He lifted his hands and placed them over Gabriel’s, the cool metal of the cuffs pressed to his wrists.  He took a deep breath and pressed his face to Gabriel’s neck.  He was cold.  Sam inhaled slowly and shut his eyes.  “All right.  Let’s do this.”  

 

“Hold on.”  Gabriel ordered, taking a deep breath.  He could feel the light of Sam’s soul in front of him, resplendent and singular.  Piece by piece, he started to let his Grace reach for Sam.  At the first touch, they both gasped and Sam pressed closer, the full length of his body pressed against his vessel.  

 

After that, it was like a cord had been cut.  Heaven, and the Pool, source of all Grace, nothing was as bright or as powerful as the draw of Sam’s soul.  There was nothing to hold him back.  There was nothing to keep him from making Sam his, and his Grace was begging for it, to claim Sam completely.  To belong to the hunter.  

 

He fell, leaning forward into Sam, his Grace eschewing all ties with heaven to latch onto the hunter.  In an instant, he was flooded with Sam’s memories, his time in the cage, years of agony in a heartbeat.  Gabriel thought he heard Sam choke out a sob and soothed him, his Grace weaving comfortably through the broken cracks of Sam’s soul.  

 

He was safe.  No one would ever hurt what was his again.  Gabriel felt the chains to his Grace lift and disappear.  He did not need heaven, or the Pool any longer.  As long as he had Sam, and Sam had him.  

 

Sam had been possessed by Lucifer.  He knew what it felt like to have an archangel completely swarm every inch of him, try to drown him with Grace.  This?  This was different.  In every way.  For every inch of his soul that Gabriel took from Sam, he gave an inch of himself back.  They were equals.  

 

When he reached for the center of Gabriel’s grace, brighter than all the rest, it sang and welcomed him closer.  He was awash with light.  Sam could feel Gabriel’s pain and his fear that he would be rejected, despite all of this.  Sam did the only thing that made sense, diving deeper until he could no longer tell where his soul stopped and Gabriel’s grace began.  Soul bond, Gabriel had called it.  

 

Seconds, minutes, hours, time meant nothing as he waded through Gabriel’s memories.  Memories of heaven, of life as a trickster, all of it.  Some horrifying and terrible, others so similar to his own Sam laughed and felt Gabriel’s grace glow in pleasure.  

 

Then there was nothing left to explore.  They were as much a part of each other as anyone could ever be.  Sam felt grace nudging at him, carefully directing him and it wasn’t until he heard Dean growling his name that his eyes snapped open.  He stumbled and started to fall until Gabriel steadied him.  

 

“Woah, hold on there Sasquatch.  Give it a second.  You just had an ocean’s worth of grace dump into you and then pull back out again.  You’re dizzy as shit.”  Gabriel cautioned.  

 

Sam blinked and forced himself to inhale.  He stared at Gabriel and then grinned.  “You aren’t chained up any more.  We did it.”  He looked back to Dean and made a face at his brother.  “We did it!”  

 

Dean scowled at Gabriel.  “Is he high?!”  

 

“Uh.”  Gabriel fought to keep the grin off of his own face.  “Not exactly.  Try...buzzed.  That’s a bit more accurate.  It’ll wear off in a minute.”  

 

“Your bonding was extraordinarily successful Gabriel.  But we have to leave before Metatron notices what we have done.”  Castiel cautioned, looking from Gabriel to Sam.  

 

“Right.”  Gabriel looked from Dean to Cas, back to Sam.  His grace gave a happy lurch.  It was beyond his wildest dreams to imagine that the bonding would have had this level of success.  That Sam wouldn’t only accept him, he’d welcome him, embrace him even.  It was more than he had ever expected.  “Come on Sam, time to fly.”  

 

Sam gave Gabriel a happy grin and then his eyes went wide as huge wings, made of crystal and gold and every color he could imagine burst from Gabriel’s back.  A powerful beat of those wings and the dungeon around them disappeared.  

 

He could feel Gabriel’s joy at being free, the sheer elation at their bonding and how happy Sam was his.  Sam relaxed into the hold, even as they touched down and he wavered.  He wanted to melt into Gabriel so he could hear every thought the angel had all over again.  “Gabriel…”  

 

“Shhh, it’s fine kiddo, I’ve got you.”  Gabriel whispered, his voice soft.  He reached up to comb his fingers through Sam’s hair.  “We’re safe for now, I promise.  Let’s get you and Dean some rest.”  Gabriel led Sam over to the king size bed and got him settled, changing him into boxers and a t-shirt with a quiet snap.  

 

His grace was still singing, overjoyed at the feel of his mate, so content and safe and close.  It was wonderful.

 

“Gabriel.”  

 

He snapped his attention to Cas, who was giving him a weird smile.  Gabriel scowled.  What was that facial expression for?  “Yeah, Cas?”  

 

“You should tell Sam that you have completely purged the demon blood from him.  He will be very pleased to hear you say so.”  Castiel felt Dean’s eyes on him in a heartbeat.  

 

“It is?”  Dean stepped closer and glanced down at Sam, sprawled on the bed with a happy grin on his face as he slept.  

 

Gabriel chuckled.  “I poured literally all of my grace into him in one big tidal wave.  There’s nothing demonic left in that kid.  Hell, I was able to completely seal his cage memories.  He shouldn’t have nightmares anymore.”  He snapped and squirmed a little in his silk pajamas.  He always did love them.  Gabriel flopped into bed next to Sam and smiled when he was immediately tugged into the circle of Sam’s arms.  

 

“Dean.”  Castiel reached out to touch Dean’s arm.  “We need to rest tonight.  We shall begin forming a plan for Metatron tomorrow.”  

 

Dean glanced at the bed and at the smile Sam had on his face and nodded.  “All right, yeah.  Let’s get some rest.”  

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


 

 

 

Sam stretched, shifting on the decadent bed he could feel.  It wasn’t too small for him either, which was a fucking awesome rarity.  Where the hell had he and Dean stopped that they could find a bed like this?  He blinked open his eyes to a head of honey gold hair.  It felt, for a long second, like his heart had stopped beating.  No way.  No.  Fucking.  Way.  

 

Gabriel’s eyes snapped open the second that Sam tensed under him and pulled back to look at him.  His eyes were wide with shock.  “Something wrong Sammich?”  

 

Sam didn’t just hear Gabriel’s concern for him, he could FEEL it, flowing through him and into his damn soul.  His mouth went dry as the memories came flooding back.  Gabriel was alive, real, and definitely cuddled up to him wearing silk pajamas.  “Why are you in silk and I’m in cotton?”  

 

Gabriel laughed.  “I am glad that you asked the -important- question there Sam.”  He raised his hand to snap and in a second, Sam was changed into barbie-doll pink silk pajamas.  

 

Sam looked down at the pajamas and then to Gabriel, raising an eyebrow.  “Definitely not my color Gabriel.”  

 

“Hmmm.  I agree.”  Gabriel snapped again and this time he made sure that Sam lost the underwear under the silk pajamas.  He waggled his eyebrows when Sam blushed.  

 

The royal blue color was much better than that pink color, but...Sam shifted and felt his cheeks burn.  Fuck.  How did-

 

“Feels good, doesn’t it?”  Gabriel closed his eyes to savor the waves of lust coming across the bond.  Yeah, silk on your junk usually felt awesome.  There was a reason they made panties for men after all.  

 

Sam cleared his throat.  “Dean and Cas?”  

 

“Off having breakfast at some awful hole-in-the-wall they managed to find on the outskirts of the city.”  Gabriel waved a hand.  “They had to go pretty far to leave the city proper, in fact they might be halfway to Vegas at this point-”

 

Vegas?  Sam blinked.  “Gabriel, where the hell are we?”  

 

“Phoenix!  I love me some dry heat!”  Gabriel grinned.  

 

He settled back against the pillows and relaxed.  Phoenix.  Huh.  All right then.  “So...is sex part of this bonding thing?”  Sam raised an eyebrow when Gabriel’s face suddenly turned hopeful and maybe a little bit shy.  “Gabriel?”  

 

“Kinda?  I mean, it can be, we’re mated, so sex would be AWESOME, but you certainly don’t have to and mmfh-”

 

Sam grinned and kept his finger pressed against Gabriel’s lips.  There was something weirdly innocent about the hope and desire dancing across the bond at him from Gabriel.  Like sex between them was something to be cherished.  “Let’s try that again.  Sex?”

 

Gabriel waited until Sam had pulled his finger away.  “Yes, please?”  

 

Sam leaned forward and stole a kiss, pressing closer to Gabriel.  The wave of happiness that crashed over him was unexpected.  He blinked open his eyes to look at Gabriel.  He pulled away just enough to whisper against Gabriel’s lips.  “Gabriel?”  

 

“I lied.  Sex later.  Let me just stay here and…”  Gabriel leaned forward and kissed Sam again, his tongue a slow slide into the hunter’s mouth, pressing closer to him.  

 

 _Okay.  Definitely okay.  Hell yes okay, even._  Sam wrapped his arms around Gabriel again and pulled him closer, melting into each of those kisses.  

 

 _Showoff._  Gabriel thought through the bond, grinning into their next kiss.   _Show me up, why don’t you Sasquatch?_

Sam pulled back enough from the kiss to stare at the archangel when he realized that he had heard Gabriel’s voice in his head.   _You heard that, didn’t you?_

 

_Yep._

Gabriel’s lips never moved.   _OhshitSamdon’tthinkdirtythoughtsdon’tthinkdirtythoughts…_

 

_What makes you think I’d mind?_

 

Sam watched Gabriel raise a lazy eyebrow.  Huh.  That was a neat little piece of information he could file away for later.   _I’ll keep that in mind._

 

Gabriel’s laughter echoing in his head made Sam grin into his next kiss.  Definitely something to keep in mind.  

  
  
  


 

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Hate it? Love it? Did I have someone remove their shirt twice? Let me know!
> 
> Comments and Criticisms welcome!
> 
> You can find me here: http://aria-lerendeair.tumblr.com/
> 
> You can also watch me write fics like this (and dozens of others) live! Follow me on Livestream for fics, shenanigans and a general all-around awesome time! http://new.livestream.com/accounts/7212317


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